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Sexual harassment, cannabis are top legal risks in Canada this year: law firm

MONTREAL — The hot button issues of sexual harassment in the workplace and cannabis legalization joined a leading Canadian law firm’s annual top 10 list of legal risks for businesses in 2018.

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP included sexual harassment in its annual list of legal risks for businesses after a series of celebrities, media personalities, politicians and others have been accused of misconduct in recent months.

The #MeToo movement began in a challenge of systematic harassment and abuse of women following the October takedown of Hollywood producer and alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein.

Law firm partner Andrew Harrison said that while businesses can’t change the past, they can take proactive steps to manage the risks going forward.

“People are now feeling more empowered to come forward with these types of complaints where they would have otherwise stayed silent as many people have for a long time,” he said in an interview.